Instrument of Government (1653)

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The Instrument of Government was a constitution of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland. Drafted by Major-General John Lambert in 1653, it was the first sovereign codified and written constitution in the world. It granted executive power to the Lord Protector. Although this post was elective, not hereditary, it was to be held for life. The document also required the calling of triennial Parliaments, with each sitting for at least five months. Since America had already been colonized by the British--in 1607, at Jamestown, and in 1620, at Plymouth--the United States has sometimes claimed this historic document as a part of its political, legal, and historic heritage. This Instrument of Government was adopted on December 15, 1653 and Oliver Cromwell was installed as Lord Protector on the following day. In January 1655, Cromwell dissolved the first Protectorate Parliament, ushering in a period of military rule by the Major Generals. The Instrument of Government was replaced in May 1657 by England's second, and last, codified constitution, the Humble Petition and Advice.